With UConn and Marquette losing, Creighton and Villanova on the rise in latest rankings

Connecticut has lost. Marquette has lost. Creighton and Villanova are on the rise while Seton Hall and Providence both held serve.

The cream is starting to separate as we reach the final quarter of the Big East schedule. The Huskies, Golden Eagles and Bluejays seem to be back away from the rest as a clear top three. The Wildcats, Pirates and Friars look best positioned to claim any remaining NCAA Tournament bids that will come from the league.

UConn and Marquette saw their extended winning streaks end — the Huskies throttled the Golden Eagles before absorbing a spanking of their own at Creighton. It’s still a two-game gap atop the league and another two games between the top four and the rest.

Is there still time for St. John’s and Butler to mount some sort of desperate push to the finish? The days are running short for the Red Storm and Bulldogs — their respective chances to dance might have come and gone. Let’s see what they might be able to conjure up before the trip to Madison Square Garden next month.

With that, on to this week’s rankings:

1. Connecticut (24-3, 14-2)

Last week, 1: Beat Marquette, lost at Creighton

This week: Villanova

What to know: It was a week of extremes for the Huskies. A blowout home win against the Golden Eagles was followed by a pasting at the Bluejays. Marquette was just 5-for-23 from 3-point range against UConn — Creighton followed with a sizzling 14-for-28 performance from deep. That meant the end of a 14-game winning streak.

2. Marquette (20-6, 11-4)

Last week, 2: Lost at Connecticut, beat DePaul

This week: Xavier, Providence

What to know: It wasn’t just the Huskies who found both ends of the spectrum last week. Marquette was crushed against UConn and had the perfect rebound opponent in the Blue Demons. Tyler Kolek set a new school record with 18 assists in a 101-75 cruise past DePaul.

3. Creighton (20-7, 11-5)

Last week, 3: Beat Butler, Connecticut

This week: at St. John’s, Seton Hall

What to know: The Bluejays have followed an overtime loss at Providence with four straight wins. The latest was the most impressive — an 85-66 demolition of the Huskies that included an adjusted 1.44 points per possession. Steven Ashworth’s five 3-pointers made him the leader among five players with multiple connections from deep.

4. Seton Hall (17-9, 10-5)

Last week, 4: Beat St. John’s

This week: Butler, at Creighton

What to know: Kadary Richmond posted a double-double as the Pirates won a fistfight against the Red Storm. Neither team managed an adjusted 1.00 points per possession and both shot below 40% from the field. That seems to suit Seton Hall just fine — the Pirates are now 10-1 when holding opponents below that scoring mark this season.

5. Providence (18-9, 9-7)

Last week, 6: Beat DePaul, Xavier

This week: at Marquette

What to know: The Friars did enough to take out the Blue Demons and scored a critical road win to earn a season split against the Musketeers. Ticket Gaines clinched the result with a late blocked shot, and Providence banked a Quadrant 1 road triumph that could be the difference between playing in March Madness and watching at home.

Villanova (15-11, 8-7)

Last week, 9: Beat Georgetown, Butler

This week: at Connecticut, Georgetown

What to know: The Wildcats might be coming alive just in time to get back in the postseason picture. They’ve won four of their last five, and three of those victories — Providence, Seton Hall and the Bulldogs — could turn a head or two when the NCAA Tournament field is selected. Pulling one out at the Huskies would tip the scales even further.

7. St. John’s (15-12, 7-9)

Last week, 8: Lost to Seton Hall, beat Georgetown

This week: Creighton, at Butler

What to know: It looks like conference tournament or bust for the Red Storm. They had dropped eight of 10 before winning against the Hoyas and could be out of chances to add quality results down the stretch. Another game with Georgetown and a road trip to DePaul account for half of the remaining regular season.

8. Butler (16-11, 7-9)

Last week, 5: Lost to Creighton, at Villanova

This week: at Seton Hall, St. John’s

What to know: It was a damaging week for the Bulldogs, who have now dropped four of their last five. Butler couldn’t defend home court while getting stomped by the Bluejays, and fell to the suddenly hot Wildcats to slide into the bottom half of the standings. It feels like a 4-0 finish could be needed to ensure an NCAA Tournament bid.

9. Xavier (13-13, 7-8)

Last week, 7: Lost to Providence

This week: at Marquette, DePaul

What to know: The Musketeers have dropped three straight at the absolute wrong time. The latest was a 79-75 thriller against the Friars, as Desmond Claude was blocked at the rim inside the final 10 seconds. That layup would have tied the game — Xavier instead suffered its sixth defeat at Cintas Center this season.

10. Georgetown (8-18, 1-14)

Last week, 10: Lost to Villanova, St. John’s

This week: at DePaul, at Villanova

What to know: The Hoyas failed to crack 60 points for just the second time this season in a 70-54 home loss against the Wildcats. Scoring wasn’t an issue next time out but the defense went missing in a 90-85 setback against the Red Storm. It’s been that kind of season for Georgetown and time is running out to build any momentum for 2024-25.

11. DePaul (3-23, 0-15)

Last week, 11: Lost at Providence, at Marquette

This week: Georgetown, at Xavier

What to know: Saturday could offer the Blue Demons their only chance to escape the conference basement. The Hoyas visit and will be thin road favorites despite owning just one league victory themselves. The Golden Eagles were a ridiculous 31-for-42 from 2-point range while running up a season-high 105 points in a Wednesday blowout.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Creighton, Villanova on the rise in latest Big East rankings